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Saturday, May 5, 2012

In the name of experimentation

Hello, lovelies! Thank you to all who commented on my previous post, either here or via twitter. Your encouragement and understanding are very much appreciated.

Yesterday was Friday Weigh-Day! I will tell you this, after a 4-pound gain over the course of two weeks I went a little weigh-crazy and "checked" the scale more than once this past week. It was more out of curiosity than anything else and boy is it amazing how much body weight can fluctuate throughout a single day let alone an entire week. For the record, I don't advise weighing in more than once weekly. I think if I did that on any sort of regular basis I would go insane. Anyway, I weighed in yesterday morning and was unsure what I would see staring back at me. Fortunately my hard work this week paid off and I obliterated 3.4 pounds of regret. Cool!

It has been a tough week for workouts around here, as the weather has been 90+ degrees all week. Since I began running in the winter, I am not accustomed to running outside in this kind of weather. It has me freaking out a bit because I know these temps will probably linger through September!! I have realized that, as if training for my first half-marathon isn't hard enough, I will likely spend the majority of my training either inside on the treadmill or waking up at the butt-crack of dawn (before it gets too hot to run outside). Not surprisingly, neither option appeals to me. Although I force myself to be an early bird during the work week, I am so not a morning person. And the thought of running 10-14 miles on a treadmill makes me downright stabby. I will not allow these obstacles to derail me though. Time to put my big girl panties on and suck it up.

I have been experimenting with a lot of things lately. My most delicious experiments have involved breakfast food. Over the winter I became obsessed with steel cut oatmeal. That lasted me through spring but I just can't imagine eating such a warm, hearty breakfast when the temperature is 95 degrees outside. I've been tracking my food intake and mentally noting how I feel after consuming certain foods. I've found that as far as breakfast is concerned, protein is extremely satisfying for me while carbs tend to make me more hungry. With that in mind I purchased a huge tub of plain greek yogurt and began experimenting (FYI a 6 oz serving of Chobani 0% Plain has 18 grams of protein!!).

One morning I mixed my plain yogurt with dark chocolate peanut butter... holy deliciousness. I was actually so full from all of the protein that I didn't even finish my entire breakfast. I froze the leftovers and ate them as choco-peanut butter fro-yo later that evening! My absolute favorite breakfast this week was a little southern twist on plain yogurt: I added some apple butter that I'd picked up at the farmers market and then a little bit of pecan praline granola. OMG! I ate that combo twice in five days, it was so good. Now I can't wait for my next trip to the farmer's market so I can find other fruit butter varieties to try! Do you have a favorite mix-in for your yogurt? I'd love to hear your most delicious (or most unusual!) combination.

Going along with the experimentation theme, I have been wearing my new leg sleeves when I run. After a lot of research and review-reading, I purchased the Zensah sleeves in hot pink. First of all, I love them the way a little girl loves her cowboy boots or princess outfit. I want to wear them all the time, appropriate or not. The best part though is that they're not only fun to look at, they are actually helping my calves. I have mentioned before that I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot. I've done a lot of reading on the subject and I've seen mention that calf tightness can contribute to pain in the plantar fascia (I'm not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt). I have had tight calves my entire life, and I remember waking up many times in the middle of the night with a "charley horse". Since I have begun running I take great care to stretch my calves after my workouts but I have noticed that since wearing my new sleeves, I have even less soreness in my legs and feet. I'm officially a believer!

Last but not least, I have to share that I am in love... with my new swimsuit! Now I am "that girl" who used to wear a giant t-shirt over my swimsuit in the pool, in the ocean, etc because I was ashamed of my body. I've gotten out of that habit over the last few years because the older I get, the more I believe that if you don't want to look at me you can turn your damn head. That doesn't mean I am at all comfortable when wearing a swimsuit; I'm not. In addition to being overweight, I am very fair-skinned. My legs are like the sun; if you look directly at them you may go blind or at least see spots for a while. True story, but I digress.

I saw a swimsuit recently on the Macy's website and knew immediately that I needed it. Not wanted, needed. I am obsessed with all things polka-dot: I've got polka dot dresses, shorts, even sunglasses (thanks Mel)! I ordered the swimsuit with a hope and a prayer that it would fit when it arrived. When it finally did land on my doorstep I tore the package open and let out a squeal... it was even cuter in person. I slipped it on and looked in the mirror and it is easily the most flattering suit I have ever worn in my life. I can't believe I'm about to say this but... I can't wait for an excuse to wear it! Fortunately for me I will have such an excuse in a couple of weeks when I head west for a conference that just so happens to be at a swanky resort. The thought of my coworkers seeing me in a swimsuit freaks me out but at least I'll feel more confident than I would have with my usual swim stuff.

What have you experimented with lately? Do you enjoy trying new workout gear or do you take the bare-bones approach to fitness? Tell me about your most memorable swimsuit!!

3 comments:

Hi Bang! I'm a newbie runner with plantar fasciitis as well. My main problem when I run is a tightness in my calves and feet. The feet, I completely understood but I just assumed the calf tightness was because I've either go poor form or I'm still not used to running. I'm curious now and want to get myself a pair of leg sleeves and see if they help. It would be amazing if it helps!

As for my favourite mix in for yoghurt? Just granola and either fresh, frozen or dried fruit. A friend adds hemp hearts/seeds but I find the aftertaste disgusting.

Hi Karen, thanks for commenting! I have never tried hemp hearts but I am most definitely going granola-crazy lately.

As for the leg sleeves, I have heard mixed reviews but I can only speak for myself and for me, they really seem to make a difference. I wear them while running and for about 30 minutes afterwards and I've noticed that while I have some immediate soreness, my DOMS has greatly diminished. Also be sure to stretch, stretch, stretch those calves! The more I stretch them post-workout, the better I feel. Let me know if you end up trying the sleeves!

Hi, I'm bang!
I started my weight loss journey in 2008 and still consider myself a work-in-progress. Along the way I've discovered a love of running and, most recently, lifting. My goal is to challenge myself by trying new things, and to uncover a fitter, healthier, happier me. What I lack in experience, I
make up for in passion. I am committed to change.